U.S. Pat. No. 307,722 to Klemroth discloses a bolt A with longitudinal channel D running through the crest of the threads. The nut has a tine extending above a flat end surface of the nut. The tine pops into and out of channel D. U.S. Pat. No. 591,062 to Smith discloses a bolt with a longitudinal channel which enables a chisel to be placed in a slot in a nut block and further to stop rotation of the bolt with respect to the block. U.S. Pat. No. 1,088,892 to Foreman discloses a screw with a longitudinal channel extending through the threads of the bolt. The tine is located outside of the nut threads.
U.S. Pat. No. 1,136,310 to Burnett discloses small notches cut in the top of the crest of the bolt threads. The notches define radially aligned surfaces. A flexible tine in the interior of the nut moves in and out of the small notches. The tine is inserted in a tangential cavity in the nut. U.S. Pat. No. 1,211,194 to Lang discloses what appears to be a bolt with longitudinal channels on its threads. A sheet steel spring is wrapped around an exterior portion of the nut and a portion of the spring is generally radially inserted through the nut to lock into the bolt channels. U.S. Pat. No. 1,226,143 to Stubblefield et al. discloses a bolt with longitudinal channels having a somewhat radial surface and an angularly disposed surface. The nut has an annular groove or recess on one end face thereof. A semi-circular member fits within the groove. One end of the semi-circular member defines a tangentially oriented tine that pops into and out of the bolt channels.
U.S. Pat. No. 1,245,362 to Lynch discloses a bolt with a single, offset bolt thread crest which catches on a cut-out in the nut. U.S. Pat. No. 1,278,028 to Savory et al. discloses a bolt with a longitudinal channel and tines in a nut which are mounted in an internally located groove. The internal groove has a single radial dimension. U.S. Pat. No. 1,465,148 to Rosenberg discloses a bolt with a longitudinal channel through the thread crest. No nut is shown. U.S. Pat. No. 1,703,947 to Nation discloses a bolt with several longitudinal channels. A single tine is located at an interior position in the nut. The tine in the nut has a terminal end that is radially moved inward based upon the position of a locking cam. The locking cam biases the terminal end of the tine towards the notches in the bolt. The locking cam extends radially through the nut. U.S. Pat. No. 2,232,336 to Meersteiner discloses a bolt with a longitudinal channel. No nut is shown.
U.S. Pat. No. 2,301,181 to Ilsemann discloses non-load bearing or carrying faces of most of the bolt threads which are deformed and which carry locking projections. Locking projections on a plurality of bolt threads are adapted to engage nut threads and compensate for the clearances in the assembly to align and frictionally lock the nut and bolt together. The non-load carrying faces of each bolt thread include two annular series of spaced, rounded projections. The surfaces of the projections are substantially rounded. Bolt projections force the load bearing surface of the bolt against the load bearing surfaces of the nut. U.S. Pat. No. 2,484,645 to Baumle discloses a bolt with longitudinal channels. No nut is shown. U.S. Pat. No. 2,521,257 to Sample discloses a bolt with longitudinal channels. Springy tines are mounted at one end of the nut and the tines flip in and out of channels. The tines are sheared from the threads on the nut. Accordingly, there is no space radially behind the tines when the tine is fully compressed by the crest on the bolt thread.
U.S. Pat. No. 2,834,390 to Stevens discloses bolts which appear to have longitudinal channels through the threads. A plurality of radially inward pointed teeth on the nut provide locking for the combination. U.S. Pat. No. 3,176,746 to Walton discloses that each crest of each thread on the bolt has a gouged out portion. These portions, when aligned, are similar to a longitudinal channel. No nut is disclosed. U.S. Pat. No. 3,517,717 to Orlomoski discloses threads on a bolt which include two outwardly directed prongs. The prongs flex inward when the bolt is screwed onto a nut. The sliced away wedge or prongs do not have a narrow mouth and a deep throat. No nut is disclosed.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,792,757 to Wright discloses a nut with a bore having a triangular cross-sectional dimension. U.S. Pat. No. 3,982,575 to Ollis et al. discloses a thread on each bolt with a plurality of ridges forming wedge surfaces. U.S. Pat. No. 4,024,899 to Stewart discloses a top of each crest of the bolt thread having a slice and a prong protruding therefrom. The prong fits within a cut-out depression in the root of the nut thread. The cut-outs at the root of the threads do not appear to be radially aligned. U.S. Pat. No. 4,168,731 to Taber discloses a root of the nut with a cut-out and the bolt having a plurality of wedges which fit within the nut cut-out.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,790,703 to Wing discloses a nut with a bore with an imperfect, non-symmetrical cross-sectional aspect. U.S. Pat. No. 4,790,208 to Kaiser et al. discloses a bolt with a longitudinal channel through the threads.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,238,342 to Stencel discloses a bolt with a longitudinal channel into which snaps inwardly biased wings from a nut insert. The nut insert has a radially extending top flange (similar to a hat ring) and is formed as an elongated cylinder which fits within a cylindrical end bore in the nut. The wings from the insert protrude inwardly at an angle, tangentially inward towards the bolt""s axial centerline. The wings are pressed inward from the elongated cylinder of the nut insert. The terminal end of the wings lock into axial or longitudinal grooves running through the bolt thread. The nut insert is keyed to a certain position on the nut by a key-tab and a complementary lockway.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,460,468 to DiStasio discloses a bolt having one or more longitudinal channels through the bolt threads. The nut has one or more tines which cooperate with the channels to prevent counter-rotation of the bolt with respect to the nut. The tine or tines define a narrow mouth leading to a wider throat behind the tine such that the mouth and throat enable the tine to flex therein while the bolt threads radially move the tine back and forth during one-way rotation of the bolt with respect to the nut.
U. S. Pat. No. 1,208,210 to Purcell discloses a locking nut with tangential slot within which is disposed a spring pawl. The terminal end of the pawl interacts with a spiral groove through the bolt thread.
U.S. Pat. No. 827,289 to Bowers discloses a generally circular insert having a key end, fitted into a radial keyway in the nut, and a tine terminal end which cooperates with a longitudinal or axial groove on the bolt thread.
U.S. Pat. No. 589,599 to Hardy discloses a semi-circular nut insert with a generally radially aligned tine. The tine locks into a longitudinal groove in the bolt thread. A space is provided radially behind the tine to permit the tine to flex inboard and outboard as the tine moves into and out of the longitudinal groove on the bolt thread.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,538,378 to Van Der Drift discloses a nut insert which is flat punched to define a series of circumferential tines. The insert has a cut-out region radially behind each tine. The terminal end of each tine falls into a recess at the bottom of the root of the bolt thread. The nut insert is captured in a recess at an end face of the nut.
U.K. Patent Publication No. 142,748 to Thibert discloses a semi-circular nut insert having a tangentially oriented locking tine. The tine moves tangentially, not radially, when the tine drops into and moves out of the longitudinal groove in the bolt thread.
U.K. Patent Publication No. 662,298 to Simmonds a swagged nut insert.
It is an object of the present invention to provide locking nut and bolt systems with one or more compressible tines carried by nut inserts or formed on U, S and J-shaped clips.
It is another object of the present invention to provide a locking nut and bolt system with a latch mechanism which places the compressible tine into a locking position or a closed position.
It is an additional object of the present invention to provide a locking nut and bolt system wherein the bolt head carries notches thereon and the compressible tine or tines block counter-rotational movement by interacting with the notches on the bolt head.
It is another object of the present invention to provide locking nut and bolt systems which utilize bolts having a longitudinal aligned locking channel in the same plane as the bolt""s axial centerline and bolts having a locking channel forming a spiral about the axial centerline.
It is an additional object to provide for removal tools for the locking nut and bolt combination.
The locking nut and bolt system utilizes a bolt with an axial centerline and a bolt thread having one or a plurality of notches generally longitudinally spaced in a predetermined pattern with proximal notches being longitudinally adjacent each other on the bolt thread. Each notch has a lock face and an opposing slope. The nut, with complementary threads, includes a recess on an end face. The recess has a central region, a recessional mouth open to the internal nut thread passage and a tangential cavity tangentially disposed with respect to the nut thread. An elongated tine has a planar tine body, a distal tine end offset from the planar tine body and proximal tine end formed as a loop. The loop has a shape complementary to the tangential cavity shape. The tine loop may be U-shaped with a respective leg exerting radially directed or tangentially directed opposing spring forces against the nut walls forming the tangential cavity or may be a solid planar element sized to fit within the tangential cavity.
In another embodiment, the recess on the end face of the nut defines a circumferential recess about the nut""s axial centerline and includes a shoulder. A nut insert is placed in the recess on the shoulder. The nut insert has a planar body defined as a peripheral ring and at least one tine depends from the planar body in a substantially tangential plane with respect to the axial centerline of the bolt.
In both embodiments, the tine has a distal tine end adapted to latch onto the lock face of the notch on the bolt and, when the distal tine end is not disposed in one or more notches, the tine end moves on the bolt thread crest. When the distal tine end is in the notch or notches, the lock face of the notch prevents counter-rotational movement of the bolt with respect to the nut when the distal tine end abuts the lock face.
Preferably, the nut insert includes a plurality of tines circumferentially disposed about the planar peripheral ring of the nut insert. In a further embodiment, the nut insert includes planar support plates extending radially inward toward the axial centerline thereby creating radial free space for the radial movement of the tine beneath the planar support plates and the planar peripheral ring of the nut insert.
In a further embodiment, locking is provided by an elongated locking unit formed as a cylinder. This locking unit cylinder is mounted in the nut recess with an axially rearward ring member disposed in the circumferential nut recess. The cylindrical locking unit axially extends outbound from the nut coaxial with the axial centerline of the bolt. The cylindrical locking unit includes at least one tine, and preferably a plurality of tines, tangentially and radially extending inward toward the axial centerline. In a further embodiment, each tine is disposed adjacent a respective arcuate cut-out on the cylinder. The axial disposition of the cylindrical locking unit with respect to the nut and the cut-out permits the user to visibly identify whether the bolt is locked with respect to the nut because the user can see the disposition of the distal tine ends in and out of the notches. When the distal tine ends are in one or more notches, abutting one or more lock faces, counter-rotational movement is prevented. When the distal tine ends are riding on the bolt thread crest, the nut is not locked with respect to the bolt.
A further embodiment of the present invention utilizes a locking element captured at the end face of a nut by the disposition of a rearward ring member of locking element in the nut recess. The locking element has a plurality of axially protruding legs and each leg has a respective tine protruding tangentially and radially inward toward the axial centerline of the bolt. Each tine has a distal tine end adapted to latch onto the lock face of the notch and either ride on the bolt thread crest or prevent counter-rotational movement when the distal tine end abuts the lock face.
The one way locking features of the present invention are carried forward into U, J and S-shaped locking nut and bolt assemblies. As explained later in detail, these locking assembly clips are utilized in conjunction with bolts having an axially aligned locking channel formed by a plurality of notches or a spiral locking channel formed by a plurality of notches in a predetermined pattern about a longitudinal and axial centerline of the bolt. In one embodiment, an elongated cylindrical locking unit is formed on one of the legs of the U, J or S-shaped clip as a cylindrical locking unit. A nut is formed on the other clip leg. The cylindrical axis of the locking unit is perpendicular to the plane of the clip leg and has at least one tine, and preferably a plurality of tines, protruding tangentially and radially toward the cylindrical axis. The distal tine end of each tine is adapted to latch onto the lock face of the bolt notch or notches. The tines are disposed on the cylindrical locking unit at corresponding cut-outs. A nut is formed on another leg of the clip. When the clip is placed on a bored panel such that the axial centerline of the nut, the panel bore and the cylindrical axis of the cylindrical locking unit are substantially coaxially aligned, the notched bolt can be inserted along this common axis, and threaded onto the nut while the distal tine ends either move in one or more notches prohibiting counter-rotational movement when the distal tine end abuts the locking face of one or more notches or ride atop the bolt thread crest. The user can visually see whether the bolt has locked onto the lock clip assembly because of the tines in the cut-outs. This is particularly helpful when the bolt carries only a small segment of either longitudinally aligned or spirally disposed notches.
In another embodiment, the U, J or S-shaped locking nut and bolt assembly includes a nut formed on one of the clip legs and a locking element formed on another clip leg. The locking element has a locking element bore and a plurality of axially protruding legs perpendicular to the plane of the clip leg. Each locking element leg has a respective tine which protrudes tangentially and radially inward toward the axial centerline of the locking element bore which is coaxial with the axial centerline of the nut on the other clip leg. When the locking element bore and the nut and the bore through the panel are coaxial, and the specially configured bolt is placed through the panel bore and the nut and the locking element bore, the position of the distal tine ends are visible thereby enabling the user to determine whether locking has been achieved by the locking nut and bolt clip assembly.
In another embodiment, a U-shaped locking nut clip assembly includes a U-shaped clip member, a single thread nut having an arc less than 360xc2x0 formed on one of the clip legs and a locking element having a locking element bore formed on the other clip leg. The locking element bore is coaxial with the axial centerline of the single thread nut. The locking element includes a plurality of axially protruding legs and each leg has a tine extending tangentially and radially inward toward the axial centerline. When the U-shaped clips is placed on the bored panel and the axial centerline of the nut is coaxial with the bore through the panel and the specially configured bolt is placed thereat, the position of the distal tine ends of the locking element are visible to the user enabling visible confirmation of locking action by the distal tine ends into one or more notches and abutment of the tine ends on the locking faces of the notches on the bolt.
In a further embodiment, the U-shaped locking nut assembly includes a U-shaped member, a single thread nut having an arc less than 360xc2x0 formed on a first clip leg and an elongated, cylindrical locking unit formed on the other clip leg. One tine, and preferably a plurality of tines, protrude tangentially and radially inward toward the cylindrical axis which is coaxial with the axial centerline of the single thread nut. When the clip is placed in a position on the bored panel with the axial centerline of the single thread nut coaxially with the bore and the specially configured bolt placed thereat, the user can determine whether the tines have locked onto the bolt because the position of the distal tine ends are visible. Visibility is enhanced because of cut-outs in the cylindrical locking unit at each tine.
In another embodiment, the U-shaped locking nut assembly includes a U-shaped clip member, a single thread nut having an arc less than 360xc2x0 formed on one clip leg, and a locking element formed on the same clip leg beyond the arc of the nut thread. The locking element has an axially protruding leg perpendicular to the plane of the clip leg. The axially protruding leg also has a tine protruding tangentially and radially inward toward the axial centerline defined by the single thread nut. When the U-shaped clip is placed on a bored panel and the axial centerline of the single thread nut is coaxial with the bore through the panel and the specially configured bolt is placed thereat, the distal tine end from the locking element prohibits counter-rotational movement when the tine end falls within the notch on the bolt and abuts the lock face. Otherwise, the bolt can be threaded on the single thread nut since the distal tine end rides atop the bolt thread crest.
In a further embodiment, a U-shaped locking nut clip assembly includes a U-shaped clip member, a nut formed on one clip leg, and an elongated locking unit formed as a cylinder on an outboard axial end of the nut. The locking unit has one tine and preferably a plurality of tines protruding tangentially and radially inward toward the axial centerline of both the nut and the cylindrical locking unit. When the U-shaped clip is placed on the bored panel and the axial centerline of the nut is coaxial with the bore through the panel and the specially configured bolt is placed thereat, the user can determine whether the bolt has locked to the U-shaped clip because the position of the distal tine ends are visible. When the distal end falls into the notches and abuts the lock faces on the bolt, counter-rotational movement is prohibited. When the distal tine ends ride atop the bolt thread crest, the bolt can be rotated with respect to the U-shaped clip.
In another embodiment, the U-shaped locking nut clip assembly includes a U-shaped clip, a nut formed as an elongated thin walled cylinder on one of the clip legs and a locking unit formed on an interior region of the nut. The locking unit includes a tine protruding tangentially and radially inward toward the axial centerline. When the U-shaped member is placed on a bored panel and the axial centerline of the nut is coaxial with the bore through the panel and the specially configured bolt is placed thereat, the locking unit on the U-shaped clip prohibits counter-rotational movement when the distal tine end falls within one or more notches and abuts respective locking faces on the specially configured bolt. Otherwise, the bolt can be rotated with respect to the U-shaped clip since the distal tine ends ride atop the bolt thread crest.
In a further embodiment, the locking nut and bolt system includes a latch closure. In this embodiment, the nut has a recess on an end face thereof and an elongated locking unit having a peripheral wall shaped complementary to the recess is disposed in the recess. A latch is moveably disposed on the peripheral wall of the locking unit. The locking unit has at least one tine, and preferably a plurality of tines, protruding tangentially and radially inward away from the peripheral wall toward the axial centerline defined by the nut thread. The latch is moveably disposed on the peripheral wall adjacent the tine and captures the tine between the latch and the peripheral wall in a closed position and, when it moves, fully exposes the tine in a locking position. In a locking position, the distal tine end falls within one or more notches on the specially configured bolt thereby preventing counter-rotational movement when the tine end abuts one or more locking faces. When the distal tine end has not fallen into one or more notches, the tine end rides atop the bolt thread crest. When the latch is in a closed position, the distal tine end is captured between the latch and the locking unit peripheral wall. In one embodiment, the locking unit has a rectangular cross-sectional shape and in another configuration, the locking unit has a circular cross-sectional shape.
In a further enhancement, the locking nut and bolt assembly with a latch can be used in conjunction with a ratchet tool when the latch is formed as a complementary cylinder to a cylindrical locking unit. In this configuration, the latch has a radially extending user actuatable control surface which enables the latch to rotate thereby placing the tines in a closed position enabling the ratchet tool to move the specially configured bolt in both a rotational and counter-rotational manner or to place the tines on the locking unit in a fully exposed position or a locking position thereby permitting the ratchet tool to move the bolt only in a single rotational direction.
In another embodiment, the locking nut and bolt system is utilized in conjunction with a bolt having a plurality of notches defined on the bolt head. A female threaded unit has a nut thread complementary to the bolt thread and also has a recess defined below an end surface of the female threaded unit. Also, the locking unit may be surface mounted on the nut. A locking unit has a peripheral wall complementary to the recess and at least one tine, and preferably a plurality of tines, protruding tangentially and radially inward toward the central axis formed by the female threads on the female threaded unit. The distal tine ends of the locking unit prohibit counter-rotational movement when the tine ends fall within the notches on the bolt head and abut the locking faces. Otherwise, the tines are disposed beyond the notches on the bolt head and permit rotational movement.
In a further embodiment, the locking nut and bolt is operable with a removal tool. The removal tool includes axially outboard and biased legs which are interposed between the proximal tine body and the bolt thread. When rotated, the interposed depending leg withdraws the distal tine end from the notches on the bolt thereby permitting removal of the locking nut from the bolt.